


Conversation Piece

by gloatingraccoon



Series: Paid In Full [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Bonding, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-05
Updated: 2013-03-05
Packaged: 2017-12-04 10:11:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/709587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gloatingraccoon/pseuds/gloatingraccoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are Eridan Ampora and you don't quite know what to make of Aradia Megido yet. But you remember the time she made coffee for you and you were so jumpy and intimidated by everybody in the house that you managed to turn even something like that into a six-act melodrama. This time, if you play your cards right, you might even carry out a normal conversation for once?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversation Piece

**> Eridan: resist urge to glare at the rustblood.**

This kind of urge is pretty hard for you to ignore but you manage to keep it under control, distracting yourself with preparing coffee. You are largely helped in this by the fact that said rustblood looks entirely too concentrated on her maps and thingies currently occupying the whole kitchen table to pay attention to your drama. You frown and lit up the fire for the moka pot, trying to look nonchalant and probably failing spectacularly.

You don’t really know what to make of the rustblood yet. You two spend the majority of your time trying to ignore each other, and although you don’t really like the thought that the lowest of the lowbloods actually took what used to be your place as Feferi’s moirail, at least it looks like a working relationship, which is more than what you could say about your own moiraillegiance with her _ever_ , really. Her matespritship with Sollux, in an unusual shared arrangement on the top of it, leaves you no less puzzled, and you’ve learnt that this is not a topic you’re allowed to tease him about: he gets defensive right away and starts hating you definitely not in a good way. Which was your first hint to the fact that there’s actually something deep between them. Physically speaking, you wouldn’t really think of her as your type. She’s short, stocky and all curvy, with bushy hair and full lips, far from Feferi’s athletic, elegant appearance. Yet you can’t help but notice the grace in the way she moves, the strength in her stout shoulders, the way she always looks cheerful and yet reflective and collected, and you still remember Vriska’s accounts about her being a pretty good FLARPer and explorer. Despite all your differences, you have to admit she piques your curiosity.

“I think that coffee is done already, Eridan,” Aradia says, without averting her eyes from the maps.

Holy shit you had totally forgotten about the moka. Again trying to look nonchalant and sucking at it big time, you hastily turn off the fire, stopping the coffee just in time from overboiling, and scramble to find a cup and sugar. Seeing the little cup with the ridiculously cute cartoony ram thingy on it in the cupboard, you freeze, remembering the time Aradia made coffee for you and you were so jumpy and intimidated by everybody in the house that you managed to turn even something like that into a six-act melodrama. It’s true that she’s the lowest of the lowbloods and you’ve barely talked at all during the game and after, but she’s Feferi’s moirail and while you don’t expect her to be fond of you, she’s never been openly hostile or snarky to you. You nervously clear up your throat.

“Do you want some, Ara?” you ask. Only then she raises her head and boy does she look surprised.

“Oh. Sure, thanks,” she replies, going back to the maps.

Ok. Next step is up to you. You could just pour your own cup and leave her share in the moka, but you really want to show that while you might have issues (and boy do you have them), you actually want to live in this house without hiding in the dark corners and barricading yourself in your room, so you bump it up a notch. You take a little spoon to mix the coffee in the moka, and the smell clearly tells you that it’s probably light and awful: you might have stopped it from overboiling, but it probably lost a lot of flavour by staying on the stove too long. But oh well. At least you have good intentions. You put two spoonfuls of sugar in your cup and pour your share. The second serving is supposed to be better and you hope she’ll notice. Then you take the cup with the little ram.

“How much sugar?” you ask. She raises her head again and it looks like it takes her a moment to get what you’re talking about. When she apparently does, she seems even more surprised than before.

“Uh, no. I like it black.”

Eep. With no sugar she’s hardly going to ignore this is far from the best coffee in the world. You manage to keep a (mostly) straight face anyway and pour her share in her cup. Before you can bring it to her at the table, though, she joins you by the counter, shaking her head, and takes the cup from your hands.

“No, thanks,” she says, “I don’t want to risk ruining the maps.”

You frown, remembering a few unfortunate incidents with your FLARP maps, and you study her expression while she blows on the liquid to cool it off. Aradia takes a first sip, and frowns. You cringe in response, mixing the sugar in your cup.

“That bad?” you ask. She shrugs and takes another sip.

“It’s a little burnt, but I’ve had worse.” She smirks. “There is a reason why I make coffee and Sollux doesn’t.”

You snort. You can very well figure that idiot would not be focused enough to make a decent coffee, but you carefully avoid commenting. You dare take a sip, and you shudder. It’s really terrible, and you’re just lucky sugar covers the worst. At least it has caffeine. At your side, Aradia seems pensive and keeps sneaking glances at the maps. It’s clear that she can’t wait to get back to work, and now that she’s close, you can notice the muscles in her arms and the calluses on her hands. You doubt she’s as physically powerful as a highblood, but that body certainly knows what hard work means, and she has telekinesis to make up for her limited endurance.

**> Eridan: try not to say anything stupid.**

Well, hard work and longing for adventure are at least two things you can sort of relate to. If you play your cards right, you might even manage to have a normal conversation for once? You squint, trying not to be too obvious as you peek at the maps. The main area of interest seems to be the lake not too far from your settlement: you remember she’s been taking part in a series of expeditions to explore the surroundings. A series of small islands and rocky outcrops are visible inside the lake and you can tell by her scribbles that they’ve been also studying the lake’s currents and depth. That’s also a familiar topic.

“So, um... you guys have been explorin’ the lake?”

Still looking pensive, Aradia takes a long sip from the cup and nods.

“Yeah, there’s quite a lot to see. You can even see some ruins on the islands from the shoreline, but the lake itself is nasty. It has a rocky bottom and the currents are pretty strong near the islands. We’ve been very careful but it’s still pretty risky.”

You empty the rest of your cup in one go so at least the horror is done with, then scratch your chin.

“There must be some cave underwater.” You shudder, massaging your left shoulder at the memory of an old adventure - and an old wound. “Well, there’s always Ahab’s Double Reacharound.”

You only realize you’ve said something likely weird in mixed company when you notice Aradia’s bewildered stare. She’s cocked her head on a side and with her almond eyes wide open she looks kind of like a parakeet. A really freakish parakeet, with ram horns and ridiculously bushy hair to boot.

“Which is...?”

Oh crap. Now you’re in for some trouble. You threw the term out there and now how the fuck do you explain it, to a landdweller, no less?

“Well... it’s a thin' you can do with a boat. When there’s lots of rocks and underwater caves, if you have the right angles and the right wind and the boat is pretty sturdy, then you can... it’s sort of...” You bite your lip and spend a little doing a series of goofy hand gestures which make perfect sense to someone with your experience, but judging from Aradia’s raised eyebrow just end up making you look like a tool, so you just sigh. “Well, the thing is... you actually use the rocks to help you reach the shore, but it’s tricky, because get one thin' wrong and you’re in serious trouble. Leavin’ is just as complicated, but it’s really funny if you get it right.”

You try an encouraging smile but by now Aradia is looking at you as if you had just started talking in reverse or something. She does seem to follow you though as she hesitantly nods, and holds a hand up to stop you as you start to add something.

“Wait, let me understand. Is this a thing you’ve read somewhere, or do you know how to do that?”

You shrug.

“It’s kinda both. I had to learn that: there were some real nasty spots where I lived. It’s just... incredibly hard to explain if you’re not there and on a boat.”

Aradia seems to lighten up at that.

“You know, we could... go there and take a look.”

You freeze. You’re not sure you got it right.

“You mean like... go to the lake? Right now?”

Aradia nods.

“Yeah, why not? I had already plans to meet there with the others today.” She moves to the table and starts gathering her things. “Assuming you don’t have other plans for today, of course.”

**> Eridan: you should be absconding right the fuck away now.**

Well. Maybe you should. Maybe some time ago you would have. But not now, because you haven’t been out in the wild and on a boat in what seems like forever, and your whole think pan is suddenly swimming along in excitement. Other plans for today? You, of all people? Going out and doing something awesome with people that might understand and share the fun, well, it sounds like a blast – especially considering the likely alternative of sulking around in your room, since both Sollux and Feferi are out today. You perk right up and gesture towards the stairs.

“Um... just let me change into somethin’ more practical and I’m ready.”

Aradia nods with a smile and you barely have the time to hear her say “I’ll check up on Jake” before you rush up to your room. You’re running up the stairs with an idiotic, excited grin on your face, and you’re aware it’s entirely undignified. And you don’t give a shit.


End file.
